Angry in the Great White North

From the "Civil Rights" section of the CAIR home page, this story is linked:

(OTTAWA, CANADA - 1/06/05) - The Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN) today called on national law enforcement authorities to investigate an attack against a Sikh teenager in Richmond, B.C., as a hate crime. Last week, a 17-year-old Sikh boy was attacked by five men who called him by a racial slur and assaulted him. The attackers also removed the boy's turban and cut off his hair with a knife, violating the Sikh faith which says hair is to be worn unshorn and in a turban. Residents in the area of the attack say other minor incidents have also occurred in the past.

They even provide a link to this CBC story. They also refer to the Canadian organization, CAIR-CAN:

In a statement issued today, CAIR-CAN wrote:

”CAIR-CAN stands with the Sikh community and all Canadians in denouncing this vicious attack of hate. The Canadian Muslim community has also experienced hate crimes and knows that it can traumatize the entire community as well as the victim. We call on the RCMP to bring the perpetrators to justice.”

Well, guess what?

The RCMP did bring the perpetrator to justice, just over a week later:

A Sikh youth in B.C. has apologized for inventing a story of being set upon by a group of white men who cut his hair.

The 17-year-old from Richmond, a Vancouver suburb, admitted to police he made up the story.

Police had already been suspicious, because the attack, which had been alleged to have occurred in broad daylight on May 26, had generated no tips from the public.

This was back in June, and yet CAIR retains the link to the original story on their home page:

This pitiful example mocks the whole "media relations" component of CAIR:

CAIR's Communications Department works in conjunction with local and national media to ensure an accurate portrayal of Islam and Muslims is presented to the American public. CAIR monitors local, national and international media in part, to challenge negative stereotypes, but also to applaud and encourage positive representations of Islam and Muslims. Over the years, CAIR has become a respected and credible source for journalists and other media professionals.

Respected and credible? Not even close. Three months, and they are still peddling a story that was discredited within days.

This gives some insight into CAIR and its goals. Despite its stated goals, the real purpose seems to be two-fold.

First, encourage the cult of the victim among Muslims. Though the young man "attacked" was a Sikh, the story brings focus to the danger that all visible minorities, especially those who have Middle Eastern colouring, face in Canada and the United States. The story maintains the us-vs-them mindset that works in CAIR's favour as a Muslim advocacy group.

Second, it puts non-Muslims in a bad light. Stupid whitey. Can't even tell the difference between a Sikh and a Muslim.

Then the truth raises its ugly head, tearing down all that was accomplished by first carrying this story. But then most American Muslims wouldn't be aware of the progress in the case, so CAIR doesn't bother updating them. In CAIR's opinion, American Muslims are being better served by CAIR's careful filtering of the facts.

The case for CAIR-CAN is less easily understood. Obviously the Canadian organization would have the same motivations as the American organization. But Canadian Muslims are far more likely to have heard about the twist in the case -- it was carried at the top of the news in Canada. But there is no update or retraction at CAIR-CAN.

Maybe CAIR-CAN figures most Canadian Muslims get their news only from CAIR-CAN, and so they can play these games.

If they can't perform the duties they advertise, both organizations should have their tax exempt status reviewed.

[CAIR is caught soft-peddling the facts about Flight 93 and playing Orwellian games with photographs.]